Apple Store Smash & Grabs Becoming More Common

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – A thief broke into an Apple store in Boulder and made off with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise on Friday, and police say such crimes are a growing trend.

Boulder’s Apple store was open Saturday but it was missing a significant amount of merchandise.

The thief got away with nearly $64,000 worth of Apple computers, iPhones and iPads. Boulder police say they have surveillance video of a man in a black hoodie who is their suspect. He used three large rocks to break in.

The damage estimate goes even higher because to get in the thief broke through a door valued at $100,000.

Apple stores across the country are becoming hot targets for crime. Crooks use vehicles to smash in and steal what they can. Others are coordinated with groups of men synchronizing their movements in the store and race for the door.

Surveillance video from 2010 at the Cherry Creek Mall showed a thief tracking down a customer who had just bought a new iPad. As he leaves the thief rips the bag from his hand.

iPads fetch a high price. The thief, Brandon Smith, spoke with CBS4’s Jodi Brooks and said he was high on drugs at the time.

“Well, if I did, I would steal it for drugs,” Smith said.

The victim, Bill Jordan, lost part of a finger in the incident.

No one was hurt in the Saturday morning incident in Boulder, but police want answers.